STARS of the Ovens and Murray Interleague squad are the latest footballers to throw their support behind the Wodonga Jets.

Only weeks after training at Collingwood’s Melbourne base, the all abilities football team found themselves at Martin Park last week at the same time as the interleague squad.

Coach Matt Deegan said some of the stars of the Ovens and Murray competition were only too happy to help out.

“Brayden O’Hara and Adam Prior were keen to get involved and not only worked on their football ability but at the same time provided a thrill for the Jets,” he said.

“In association with Volunteer Friends Wodonga and the Wodonga Bulldogs Football Club, over the past five years the Jets have gone from playing one game a year to participating in four home and away games, three round-robin carnivals and of course, culminating in what the players see as the pinnacle, their half-time game at the O and M grand final.”

The Jets’ next game will be after the Wodonga Bulldogs v Wangaratta Magpies OandM clash on June 6.

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ABOVE: The original Wodonga Shire Hall.LEFT: The former Melba Theatre.Pictures:WODONGAHISTORICALSOCIETY Dame Nellie Melba biographer Ann Blainey says the name Melba Square could be a great choice for Wodonga’s new city square. Picture: JOHN RUSSELL

COULD a dark horse be making a last-minute dash across the finish line in the race to name Wodonga’s urban square?

Well, perhaps not so much dark horse as divine diva — a Border Mail poll suggests Melba Square is leading the people’s choice as a name for the new public space at the corner of High Street and Elgin Boulevard.

The Melba square name is not in fact direct reference to opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, but to the theatre named for her that once stood opposite the square, where the Woolworths supermarket now stands.

Either way, historian Ann Blainey reckons it’s an excellent choice, and one the dame would approve.

Mrs Blainey — wife of historian Geoffrey Blainey — was on the Border yesterday for a talk about Melba, coinciding with the singer’s birthday.

As a Melba biographer, Mrs Blainey said she’d found Melba actually had several links to the area, with several performances on the Border in the early 1900s.

Her father owned Bethanga Park for many years, meaning as a child she would have spent time here, although her formative years were spent in Melbourne.

“She was the first person to sing at the Albury Mechanics Institute … and at that concert for those who couldn’t get seats she made sure they opened all the doors so everyone could hear,” she said.

Wodonga Council had previously stated its preference for a name reflecting the precinct’s railway heritage, but Mrs Blainey thinks the Melba name can almost encompass that too.

Melba did after all travel regularly on the line from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and, upon her death in 1931, a procession was held at Albury station as her coffin was moved from one platform to the other for the journey from Sydney to Melbourne.

Wodonga Historical Society members have agreed the Melba name could be perfect, but pointed out one key factor: the council has stipulated it does not want to name the square after a person, living or dead, in order to ensure it is inclusive.

Society member Uta Wiltshire said that the name wouldn’t, however, necessarily be commemorating a person, but a place.

“To have Melba square would be fine, as long as in 20 years time people do remember there was a theatre of that name was once stood by that site,” she said.

The Melba Theatre was in use for 60 years which was of significance to Wodonga.

The council is taking feedback on the five names until May 28.

A report will go to next month council’s meeting, where councillors will choose a name to put forward to the Registrar of Geographic Names.

The council has stressed it will consider the public response.

People can go to makewodongayours南京夜网419论坛 to vote, or leave a dot on polls posted at the council offices and other venues including The Cube, Library, community centres and the Visitor Information Centre.

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The Nappy Collective group has been collecting the baby essential for the past two weeks to donate to families who can’t afford them.

It was the second time a nappy drive has been held on the Border, the first was in October and only 500 nappies were donated.

A volunteer with The Nappy Collective group in Albury, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she could see the benefits of the nappy donations after once being in need herself after escaping domestic violence.

“I was left with nothing and it’s the first thing you notice,” she said.

Nappies were collected at drop off points at the Lavington library and the Albury Library Museum, set up by Halve Waste, and the Wodonga library and Target.

The Nappy Collective Albury-Wodonga team leader Sophie Richards said she was overwhelmed by the generosity.

“I’m thrilled with the response and hopefully it’s enough to meet the demand so we don’t have to get any from Melbourne,” she said.

“A woman who was 33 weeks pregnant with twins was even keen to help.”

Ms Richards said nappies were not always affordable and she often heard of them going to waste due to babies growing out of them.

They boxed the nappies according to size at Albury Wodonga Regional Foodshare and manager Peter Matthews said often people were asking for those types of products.

“People who need emergency food have an income that’s under stress,” he said.

“They won’t just go to people with a low income but also those with sick children or other issues.”

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Catherine KingBallarat is bracing for weeks of horrific stories from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse, but the city’s leaders are saying it is truth of these terrible events that we must face up to.

FULL COVERAGE.

The city looks set to be front and centre of the commission for the next three weeks and much of what will be heard will shock many in the community.

Ballarat MP Catherine King said the city needed to hear and understand the stories if the community was going to address the many issues connected to the years of abuse.

“We will see stories on the national news that no one would like to see about any place that you call home, but if we are going to grow from these experiences then we have to hear it and help people to move on,” she said.

“It is hard to not hear that testimony and not be incredibly saddened, there were these beautiful boys and young girls who were placed in positions where their families should have been able to trust the people to look after them and do the best by them.

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Proceedings: Commissioner Andrew Murray, Justice Peter McClellan and Justice Jennifer Coate sitting in Ballarat, while Counsel Assisting Gail Furness SC makes her opening address.GERALD Ridsdale was continually moved around the Ballarat diocese due to abuse complaints, according to the Counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

FULL COVERAGE.

In her opening address on Tuesday, Gail Furness said Ridsdale was relocated several times by the College of Consultors – a group of priests advising former bishop Ronald Mulkearns and which included now Cardinal George Pell.

“Several of the consultors had been present at meetings of, or were members of the College of Consultors

on each occasion in the past when Ridsdale had been moved,” Ms Furness said.

Minutes show Pell was present at a meeting when Ridsdale was moved from Mortlake after several complaints of inappropriate behaviour with young boys.

“The minutes do not disclose what the bishop said about why it became necessary (to move Ridsdale),” Ms Furness said.

“However … it is expected that there will be evidence that Bishop Mulkearns knew it was because Ridsdale had abused boys in Mortlake and that he had offended in this manner in 1975.

Ridsdale will appear via video link from jail while fellow convicted priest Paul Ryan’s evidence previously given to a private hearing will also be tendered.

In his opening address, Royal Commission chairman Justice Peter McClellan said the priests’ testimonies would play an important role in the commission’s investigation.

“The evidence will not be directly concerned with the circumstances of their offences,” Justice McClellan said. “That has already been dealt with by the court.

“However, the evidence has an important part to play in the Royal Commission coming to understand why both ordained members of the Catholic Church became abusers and how the church responded to allegations of their abuse.”

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Australian Crime Commission chief executive officer Chris Dawson would not name the groups linked to money laundering.Organised criminals are using terrorist groups to launder money, the Australian Crime Commission has revealed.

ACC chief executive officer Chris Dawson would not name the groups linked to money laundering, but said the threat was part of a growing trend towards more sophisticated methods of “cleaning” cash earned through organised crime.

This includes organised crime groups, particularly those involved in drug trafficking, approaching specific money laundering operations, as opposed to dealing with the profits themselves.

These professional laundering outfits then use various means, including casino gambling and currency trading, to “legitimise” cash.

The ACC organised crime in Australia 2015 report will be released on Wednesday.

As more details emerge of Australians who travel overseas to join conflicts, the report hints at increasing knowledge of the links between national crime and international jihadi groups.

“The problem of Australians going abroad to fight is an emerging area of complexity for this country.

“As counter-terrorism efforts throughout Australia are enhanced, the linkages between terrorism and the broader organised crime and volume crime environments are being identified.

“These linkages include, but are not limited to, Australians who finance terrorist activities, Australians who leave Australia to support terrorist causes, and who may return to Australia with the intent of inflicting harm on the Australian community, or may be recruited by organised crime groups seeking the specialist skill sets they developed in foreign conflicts.”

Mr Dawson said Australian and international authorities were working to prosecute those using terrorist groups for money laundering.

“We have established connections between international controllers and terrorist groups.

“There is a definite connection that has been established and that’s subject of quite a lot of operational activity.”

The report forecasts an increase in organised crime groups trying to using legitimate business to establish a facade for their offending.

The ACC outlines an investigation into a syndicate that established companies in the mining and resources sector and used coercion to take control of existing companies.

Once the syndicate controlled significant shareholdings, they started aggressive capital-raising and marketing campaigns.

The syndicate employed geologists and company research firms to inflate the potential of their projects and release “buy” recommendations to investors.

As the share price inflated, a global network of brokers was employed to sell syndicate members’ shareholdings.

Mr Dawson said investigations into the scam were ongoing and involved all sectors, not just the mining industry.

Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the spread of technology had broadened the scope of organised crime groups.

“They are violent predators who profit from the misery of drug trafficking, drug manufacturing, the illicit firearms trade, and are even suspected of financing terrorism.

“Sophisticated criminal syndicates both here and abroad have quickly embraced technology – ripping off Australians with online scams, identity fraud, credit card fraud and the exchange of illicit items such as firearms and drugs on the darknet.”

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The Labor Party plans to fight next year’s federal election on superannuation, saying the Abbott government’s second budget shows tax concessions on super earnings have become the fastest growing tax concessions and they need to be wound back.

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen will say at the National Press Club on Wednesday that only Labor has the courage to deal with the problem and “to do it before an election and seek a mandate to deal with it”.

Mr Bowen – who spoke at the Press Club less than a month ago – will say superannuation assets are projected to reach more than 160 per cent of gross domestic product in Australia, up from around 120 per cent today.

Tax-free superannuation assets in the retirement phase will account for roughly 44 per cent of total super assets in 30 years, up from just 30 per cent today, he will say.

“This is exactly why the earnings concession on superannuation is the fastest growing tax concession in the federal budget,” Mr Bowen will say.

“That rate of growth dwarfs the increase in the scale of age pension costs. [Treasurer] Joe Hockey’s own budget papers show the cost of the concession doubling over just the next four years to more than $30 billion.”

Mr Bowen is relying on the 2014 Tax Expenditure Statement to show that super tax concessions are estimated to grow to $50.6 billion in 2018-19, up from $29.7 billion in 2014-15, at an an average annual growth rate of 14.3 per cent.

But the government’s recent budget papers show the cost of the aged pension will be $50.4 billion in 2018-19, up from $41.6 billion in 2014-15, at an average annual growth rate of 4.9 per cent.

“The budget papers show the cost of total superannuation tax concessions [earnings and contributions] actually outstripping the cost of the age pension by the end of the forward estimates period,” Mr Bowen says.

Mr Bowen will say that this is a challenge for budget sustainability that must be met right now, and that Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Mr Hockey “expect us to believe that super tax concessions are affordable” when they know they are not.

“They’ve decided to promise to keep the current tax free status of superannuation post-60 because they think there are votes in it,” Mr Bowen will say.

“I read that Tony Abbott wants to make superannuation an election issue. Bring it on. Labor is always delighted to fight an election on superannuation, one of our proudest creations.”

In the lead-up to last week’s budget, Mr Abbott upgraded the Coalition’s promise to make “no adverse changes” to superannuation in this term of government to making no changes in the future.

It formed part of the government’s plan to differentiate itself from Labor, which it wants to brand as the party of high taxes.

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Wayne Swan has changed his position on same-sex marriage. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen Wayne Swan has changed his position on same-sex marriage. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Wayne Swan has changed his position on same-sex marriage. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Wayne Swan has changed his position on same-sex marriage. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Ireland may vote for same-sex marriage

Former deputy prime minister Wayne Swan has switched his position on same-sex marriage, conceding he was “wrong” to oppose it, as new figures put Federal Parliament less than a handful of votes away from backing the landmark reform.

Australian Marriage Equality figures show that Parliament is on the brink of having enough support to legislate same-sex marriage, needing just four more votes to pass a bill in the House of Representatives. In the Senate, it is calculated a bill could pass with a majority of one.

In a sign of the growing momentum in Canberra, Mr Swan has announced he now supports same-sex marriage. The member for Lilley in Brisbane opposed same-sex marriage during the Labor years in government, voting against the reform when it came before Parliament in 2012.

Mr Swan told Fairfax Media he had found it “increasingly difficult” to reconcile his views about same-sex marriage with his support for economic and social equality.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that, basically, I was wrong,” he said.

In the wake of a raft of Labor MPs recently declaring their support for same-sex marriage, including Chris Bowen, Ed Husic and Bernie Ripoll, AME has done a fresh calculation of support for the reform in Federal Parliament. It also says 13 unnamed Coalition MPs have switched their position to supporting same-sex marriage since the start of the year.

AME is confident there are now at least 72 lower house MPs who would vote for same-sex marriage, which is just four votes shy of the 76 required to pass a bill.

In the Senate, AME estimates same-sex marriage has 39 supporters and so would pass with a majority of one.

This is based on the assumption that Liberal MPs were allowed a free vote and includes MPs who have privately indicated they back same-sex marriage.

Australian Marriage Equality national director Rodney Croome said the small number of Coalition members publicly in favour of same-sex marriage was the “tip of an iceberg of support”.

“Given a cross-party free vote, the reform has a good chance of passing,” Mr Croome said.

Some Liberal MPs have been hesitant to speak out in support of same-sex marriage because the party does not have a free vote, and due to sensitivity about preselections for the next federal election.

In the lower house, AME says there are 20 supporters – from different parties – who have not declared their position publicly. In the Senate, it has identified eight private supporters, also from different parties.

Mr Croome said a lot of credit for the shift in numbers goes to “everyday Australians” who have lobbied their local MPs with personal stories.

Previous estimates from advocates and same-sex marriage backers in Canberra have played down the likelihood of the reform passing before the next election. One recent estimate had same-sex marriage as much as 20 votes away from a majority in the lower house.

There continues to be a question mark over the Liberal Party’s exact position on same-sex marriage. While the party and Prime Minister Tony Abbott do not support same-sex marriage, Mr Abbott has said that the issue of a free vote would be a matter for the post-election party room.

Liberal MPs have so far passed up opportunities to discuss it in party room meetings – despite Libertarian senator David Leyonhjelm​ introducing a “freedom to marry” bill in the Senate last year.

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Shane Broadby’s mother says she and other members of the family have been assaulted by him. Shane Broadby’s mother says she and other members of the family have been assaulted by him.

One of the most insidious qualities of domestic violence is the combination of fear, shame and love that too often stops victims reporting their partner.

What if the perpetrator was your child?

As Australia’s current focus on domestic violence, particularly violence against women, has begun to a shine a light on the long-overlooked “national crisis”, the prevalence of child offenders has remained in the shadows.

Children are the offenders in 4000 to 5000 reported domestic violence cases in Victoria every year, the state’s assistant police commissioner Dean McWhirter said.

The program visited the homes of two families trying to cope with abusive teenagers.

Tina Broadby, her husband and her daughters had been physically assaulted by her older son Shane.

Tina told 7.30 she was scared that “he will hurt one of the girls and maybe kill one, because that’s how bad the temper I think is. Yep. It’s very scary.”

Shane seemed just as scared of what we was capable of if he didn’t control his anger.

Like many violent children and teenagers Shane was diagnosed with ADHD.

With few resources available to families dealing with violent children, police are often the first people outside the family to know of the abuse.

And parents rarely press charges, fearing the consequences for their child, and the shame of being blamed for their violent behaviour, according to 7.30.

“The parents that we speak with … often say they feel an incredible sense of shame. They feel embarrassed that this is happening to them in their family,” said social worker Jo Howard at Kildonan UnitingCare.

“They feel concerned that if they speak about it they will be blamed – which frequently they are – for not taking control of the situation, for not having control over their child,” she said.

Brooke Gowan has had to call the police on eight separate occasions in response to violent incidents involving her 15-year-old daughter Ebony.

“And you sit there and they’re wanting you to press charges. And as a Mum you sit there and go, ‘I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to ruin her future,’ ” Ms Gowan said.

For Ebony, the temporary solution was for the teenager to move out of home and into a specialised program called Time for Youth.

But with the limited services already strained, and the issue believed to be widely under-reported, many families and children are yet to receive help.

NSW Domestic Violence Line 1800 656 463

Victoria’s 24/7 Family Violence Response 1800 015 188

National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)

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“Not going anywhere”: Australian Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs. Photo: Andrew MearesAustralian Human Rights Commissioner Professor Gillian Triggs has sent a defiant message to her critics in the Abbott government: she is not going anywhere.

Professor Triggs told a conference in Canberra on Tuesday she was determined to see out her five-year appointment, despite the “horrifying” experience of her clash with the government over asylum-seeker children.

She said the political backlash against her inquiry into children in detention was the lowest point of her 47-year legal career but she was determined to see her five-year term as commissioner through.

But speaking at the “She Leads” conference for female leaders organised by the YWCA of Canberra, Professor Triggs warned women in public sector leadership roles of the dangers of failing to consider politics when making big decisions.

The commissioner was at the centre of a political storm early in 2015 when Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Attorney-General George Brandis accused her of orchestrating a stitch-up over children in detention and said she had lost the confidence of the Australian people over some of her other decisions.

The row intensified when Professor Triggs said the secretary of Senator Brandis’ department offered her an inducement to resign and the commissioner was targeted for personal attacks by the right wing press.

Although she conceded to some naivety in stepping into such a politically charged arena, Professor Triggs insisted she was doing her job when she launched the inquiry.

“My job does include the right to inquire into acts and practices, including those of the Commonwealth government,” she said.

“Now, no human rights commission in the world could have turned its back on the number of children held in prolonged and indefinite and mandatory detention as asylum seekers.

“So as far as I was concerned I was simply doing my job according to the law.

“But what I didn’t realise was that I forgot about the politics.”

The commissioner said she had found herself in a horrifying position in the wake of the report but that she had no intention of resigning her position.

“It was horrifying for someone who has been a practising barrister and solicitor for 47 years to suddenly find they were in this kind of environment where allegations are made, attempts are made persuade for an alternative position and I’m unable because of my position to defend myself in any public way and was subject to eight hours of unremitting question by the Senate,” she said.

“So it was an extraordinary experience and one which I think was the lowest point of my professional career.

“But it’s one that I’m absolutely determined to manage my way through,

“Mercifully I’m protected by my position as a statutory officer by five-year provisions that guarantee [I] cannot be deposed for political reasons unless I’m bankrupt or commit a criminal offence.”

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Industrial umpire the Fair Work Commission is being asked to rule on its own conduct amid allegations it is trying to force some of its public servants to work for free.

But the commission insists it is acting reasonably in rejecting union demands for overtime pay for workers who show up to voluntary weekend training sessions funded by their employer.

The Community and Public Sector Union sees things differently and wants the commission to rule against itself for allegedly breaching its enterprise agreement by asking its employees to work for free.

Commission general manager Bernadette O’Neill said she and her colleagues thought they were doing a good thing when they offered staff the chance to upskill as relief conciliators of workplace disputes, who could then step into the role when full-time conciliators were stretched in busy periods.

Forty staff, who are Commonwealth public servants, applied to undertake the course and 20 were accepted.

But the plan ran into union trouble when managers suggested the training, most of which would occur during work time, would continue throughout the last weekend in May, on the employees’ own time, with travel expenses covered for those coming from interstate.

Union official Susan Tonks says it is “unreasonable” for public servants to be asked to front-up for work over the weekend without being paid and then return to their desks on Monday morning.

She says the Australian Public Service norm is for workers to be paid for training and wants overtime for rank-and-file officials attending the training and time off in lieu for executive level staffers.

“We consider it unreasonable that employees are expected to work beyond their week, through the weekend and attend work the following week without regard to employee entitlements to rest or compensate under the EA,” Ms Tonks wrote to Ms O’Neill.

But the commission is not budging, with Ms O’Neill saying it was already spending money providing the workers with the chance to upskill and it could always go and recruit the conciliators externally without offering to train up its own staff for the jobs.

“Whilst there are benefits to the commission, we can alternatively simply recruit conciliators externally,” the general manager said.

“Where we have done this in the past, the fields have been exceptionally strong and very few, if any staff, would otherwise be competitive for these roles.

“However, we are strongly committed to offering staff the opportunity to develop new skills and give you access to career progression opportunities not otherwise available.”

An exchange of letters between Ms O’Neill and Ms Tonks have failed to settle their differences and the union has lodged an official dispute with the Fair Work Commission, against the Fair Work Commission.

The dispute will go to a hearing behind closed doors on Friday in Melbourne.

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